rosenbaum



(No Model.) 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1. H. W. ROSENBAUM & E. NEUBERT.

00m AGTUATED STAMP. No. 480,966. Patented Aug. 16, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. W. ROSENBAUM & E. NEUBERT.

COIN AOTUATED STAMP.

Patented Aug. 1 6, 1892.

@MMW

UNIT STATES ATENT FFICEQ HENRY W. ROSENBAUM AND ERNST NEUBERT, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO SAID ROSENBAUM.

COIIN-ACTULATED STAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 480,966, dated August 16, 1892. Application filed November 14,1891. Seria1No.4l1,868. (No model.)

T aZZ whmn it ntag concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRYWV. ROSEN- BAUM and ERNST NEUBERT, citizens of the United States, residing in the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Coin-Actuated Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

In our application, Serial N 0. 404,987, filed September 7, 1891, a registering-stamp is rep resented in which the stamp itself is fitted to a box that receives aswinging movement and is connected by links to a base, and there is a tubular guard surrounding the stamp to prevent an impression being made untila complete movement has been given to the parts, so that the stamps move downwardly within the tubular guard.

WVe have combined with a stamp acoin-controlled locking mechanism, by which the stamp can be brought into action after the proper amount of money has been placed in the coin-receiver, and the stamp cannot be moved until the amount has been inserted in the coin-receiver, and an impression cannot be efi'ected until the coins have been separated from the controlling-lever so as to fall within the box.

It will be understood that the object of this coin-actuated stamp is, primarily, to stamp letters in place of affixingto the letter a postage-stamp and that the money for so doing is received into a box in place of selling the stamp; but this device is available for any stamp for whicha given sum is payable.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the stamping-bed with the stamp and the coin-slide in section. Fig. 2 is an elevation with the box or case in section. Fig. 3 is an elevation with the casein section at the line Y Y, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a diagram representing the parts in the position assumed by the coin-lever as a stamp is impressed and the coins discharged from the coin-receiving lever. Fig. 5 is an inverted sectional plan the bottom B of the box, and there are springs S to press the tubular guard R downwardly, and which springs yield when the tubular guard is pressed upon the letter or other artiole to be stamped, and H is the inking-pad, all of which are similar to the devices in our aforesaid application, and the registering mechanism represented in said application may or may not be made use of.

It is advantageous to connect the box by the toggle-links K L M to the base G and stationary frame 7 and to make use of the gear- Wheels N and P, so as to swing the toggle lid and give motion to the box as the stamp 1s moved from the inking-pad to theimpressionpad. Adjacent to the gear or sector P and connected therewith is a segmental cam-rack V, which, by preference, is inclosed by the box or cover 18, and the arbor of such segmental cam-rack projects through the box or cover 18 and receives the lever-handle 19, by which the parts receive their motion.

, There is a coin-holding box 20 below the bed G, and a coin-slot 21 passing through the upper part of this box and in line with the coinslide 22, and it is preferable to make use of a spring 23 at the under side of the top of the coin-holding box and adjacent to the ends of the coin-slot 21, which spring is forced aside when a coin is inserted, and as the diameter of the coin passes by this spring it suddenly loses its hold upon the coin, and the pressure that has been exerted upon the coin in forcing it past the spring causes the coin to be projected with rapidity down the slide 22, and such coin falls into the pan 24: upon the coin-lever O, which coin-lever is pivoted at 25 and has a pawl 26 at the upper end thereof, and the segmental cam-rack V is made with teeth 27, a cam portion 17, and a finger 28. The shape and action of these parts will be understood by reference to Figs. 1, 3, and 4.

When the parts are in the position indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, the stampA rests upon the inking-pad H, and the cam 17 holds the coin-pan 24 in the proper position for the reception of the coin passing down the slide 22, and if the lever-handle 19 is moved when there is no coin in the pan 24 the pawl 26 follows the curvature of the cam 17 and is caught by the rack-teeth 27. Hence the parts ion upon a letter or other article to be stamped the stamp is forced down, while the tubular guard rests upon the letter or other article, holding the same in position, and as impression is made the finger 28, acting upon the curved end 29 of the coin-lever O, swings such coin-lever to the position shown in Fig. 4, causing the pan 24 to move backwardly and drop the coin from its surface, so that the same falls upon the bottom of the box 20.

The before-described movements and de vices may be employed regardless of the character of the coin, and they may be used with one cow; but we have provided this apparatus with special reference to the use of two cows, such as are required for a two-cent postage-stamp. lVith this object in View the downward projection a, that is at one side of the lower end of the coin-slide 22, is to be sufficiently high above such pan for one coin to pass under its lower edge. Hence if only one coin is supplied and rests upon the pan the lever O can swing so that its pawl 26 remains in contact with the cam-surface 17 and is arrested against the teeth 27, the one coin passing beneath the lower edge of the projection a as the pan swings with the lever; but if a second coin is dropped through the coin-slide it falls upon the first coin and forms a block between the back edge or flange 35 of the pan 24 and the projection a, so that the coin-lever 0 remains in the position shown in Fig. 3, and it does not swing for the pawl 26 to remain in contact with the cam 17. Hence the teeth 27 of the segmental cam V pass clear of the upper end of the pawl 26, thus requiring the two coins to be introduced into the device before the stamp can be used.

We provide a discharge-finger b, hinged to the edge of the coin-slide opposite to the projection a, and this discharge-finger rests upon the bottom of the pan at alittle distance from the back edge thereof, and its downward movement is limited by a stop 36, so that when the coin-lever O is swung back by the finger 28, acting upon the curved end 29 of said lever 0, this discharge finger b will detain the coins as the pan is moved from beneath them, and such coins fall as aforesaid, as indicated in Fig. 4.

It is to be understood that this coin-actuated stamp is to be secured to a rigid table or support, so that the lever 0 may hang by gravity.

It is desirable to provide openings at 31 in the coin-slide, so that a wire passed in through the coin-slot may not be liable to follow the coin-slide, and an opening at 32 and a shield at 83, in line with the upper inclined portion of the coin-slide, serve to preventany wire or pick reaching the lever O for holding the same while the stamp is being impressed, so that risk of fraud is lessened.

lVe claim as our invention 1. The combination, with astamp and mechanism for moving and impressing the same, of a coin-actuated lever and a segmental camrack acted upon by the coin-lever for holding the parts in position and preventing the impression of the stamp until the lever is acted upon by a coin, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a stamp, the inking-pad, and the impression-pad, of atubular guard around the stamp, springs for moving the same downwardly, toggle-links, and an actuating-lever for moving the stamp, a segmental cam having rack-teeth anda finger, a coin-slide and a coin-lever having a pan for the reception of the coin, and a pawl acting in connection with the segmental cam and rack, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination, in a coin-actuated machine, of a coin-receiving slide, a coin-lever, with a pan for the reception of the coin, and a stationary projection at a slight distance above the coin-pan and beneath which the pan is free to swing when empty or with but one coin, so that the coin-lever is not stopped in its free movement until a second coin is received upon the first coin, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a coin-actuated mechanism, of acoin-lever having apan upon which the coin or coins fall fiatwise, a coinslide, with a slot for the reception of the coin, and a fixed discharge-finger over the pan and at one side of the coins for holding the same as the pan is swung from beneath it, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a coinactuated mechanism, of a stamp, a lever and connections for moving the same, a segmental camrack'connected to and moving with the actuating-lever, a coin-lever and pan or receiver for the coin, and a pawl at the upper end of such coin-lever acting in conjunction with the segmental cam and rack, substantially as set forth.

Signed by us this 9th day of November, 1891.

H. W. ROSENBAUM. ERNST NEUBERT. lVituesses:

\VILLIAM G. Mo'r'r, GEO. T. PINGKNEY. 

